FAO/WHO Recommend Uniform Precautionary Allergen Labeling as Codex Develops Guidance
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have released a report summarizing the third meeting in a series on allergens requested by the CodexAlimentarius Commission. The work completed in the third meeting specifically relates to precautionary allergen labeling (PAL) and will support the Codex Committee on Food Labeling (CCFL) in the development of guidance on the use of PAL.
The report states that, although PAL based on a comprehensive allergen risk management program and implemented using a single unambiguous advisory statement is an effective strategy to protect consumers from unintended allergens, current use of PAL is voluntary and often not part of a standardized risk assessment process, leading to non-uniform and indiscriminate application of PAL, including a multitude of different phrases, and the inappropriate absence of PAL.